081. anchors

03 Jan 2008

An angel with an anchor is one of the oldest existing Christian symbols. Used primarily until the year 400 A.D., the image is taken directly from the Book of Hebrews 6:19-20… hope is “an anchor of the soul, sure & firm.” Just as an anchor maintains a ship steady, so does the Christian faith & early Christian cemeteries often used the symbol on tombs.

No one knows exactly why the anchor was replaced by other symbols in later years, but a revival began in the 1600s especially in cemeteries. Although not abundant in Recoleta Cemetery, a few angels with anchors can be found on the tops of domes or by vault entrances: